Movable advertising-sign.



J; 11. LA PEARL. MOVABLE ADVERTISING SIGN.

APPLICATION IILBD APR. 7, 1908.

- Patented May 25, 1909.

MERCHANDISE no MAIN ST til A 3 is NORRIS PETERS. INC. LITHO WAQM "(JON D C i h lljTEi) STATlZS rnnir ent ies.

JAMES H. LA PEARL, OF iiICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MOVABLE ADVE .rlISING-SIGN.

T all whom "it may concern:

. Be. it known that I, JAMES H. La PEARL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicagoan the county of Cook and State of Illinois. have invented certain new and useilul Improvements in Movable Advertisingtngns. of which the following is a specificatron.

This invention relates to signs intended for advertising purposes; and the obiect of the invention is to so construct and arrange the sign as a whole that several advertisements may be intermittently displayed, thereby increasing" the effectiveness oi the displa in proportion to the space occupied by the device, whereby three signs can be arranged to occupy substantially the same space that is ordinarily allotted to one. The display panels, furthermore, are mounted to revolve so that different signs will be successively displayed, and such movement serves to attract attention to the sign and arrest the notice of passersby.

The invention further relates to the construction and arrangement of the display panels and to themeans provided for actuating the same, and to the device as a whole and the indivitilua-l parts thereof.

The invention consists in the features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a front elevation of the sign box, showing one oi the panels partially broken away; Fig. a. side elevation of the same. shouting the panels in a different position of z'i-djustnient: Figv 1% an enlarged detail oi the bracket arm for actuating the rack bar; Fig. i a Sectional view oi the same; and Fig. 5 a perspective view oi one of the panels very much enlarged.

The sign as a whole compri es a rectangular box having side walls (:3. a top 7, and a back 8, the front of the box being open. The

box may be made of a size to adapt thesign for Window display, or may be made snllicicntly large to serve in the capacity of a billboard. Furthermore, the shape and proportions ol the box may e changed or modified to suit the requirements ol the space intended to be occupied by the sign. The box is preferablyprovided near its bottom 9 with a shell or partition wall it) which divides the box into 'an enlargedupper or display portion 11 and a smaller lower port ion 12, which ml'cr or reoeptacle for nhtn the (its latter furnishes a ch: the actuating meclnnnsm.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 7, 1908.

Patented May 25, 1909.

Serial No. 425,665.

play portion of the box are located a'plurality of panels 13 of any suitable number, three being shoyvn in the drawings for purposes of illustration. The panels are of a size to completely fill the display portion of the side box when turned edge to edge. and are cash provided at the ends with trunnions 1- and 15, which trunnions are journaled through the side walls of the box and permit the panels to he revolved. The trunnions 15 have located thereon .pinions 16 which mesh with rack teeth 17 CH-EiiCtl by a rack bar 18 which is adapted to receive a reciprocating motion sufficient in degree to impart to the panels a haltrevolutii Willi each stroke of the rack bar, which halt rcvolntim'i serves to display the reverse side of the panels so that each side will healternately displayed. The opposite faces 01 thepanels serve for the display oi suitable advertising matter and, in the form shown, as is desirable in the displaying of large and important; advertisements, a single adveitisenient is painted or inscribed on the em ire surface al forded by the full number oi panels, so that when the latter are turned edge to edge and the proper surfaces fully exposed the advertisement thereon vvill appear for a limited time on a ilat unbroken surface. The opposite sides of the panels being likewise inscribed, two full and complete advertisements can be dis ilayed on the panels themelves. in order to increase the capacity oi the sign. the front face oi the ack or inner wall of the box lil c\vi.--:e ividcil with a s -tn ivliich will be fully exposed when the panel are turned into edgeyvise position. as shoi n in Fig. so that in e 'l'ect three complete signs can be displayed in su'b.-, :tantially the same space ordinarily occupied by a single sign.

lt is desirable. in the operation ot' the panels. that their movements should be niomentz'u'ily arrested when they have been turned edge to edge, and likewise when they have been turned to their intermediate position. in order that the signs displayed on opposite sides of the panels may be fully exposed for a suitable period of time and likewise the sign displayed on the inner vvall of the box itsell. Suitable mechanism for providing an intermittent movement of the character indicated is shown in Figs. 3 and i. The rack bar 18 is provided, near its end, with an inwardly extending rack arm 19 which is preferably provided. at its end. with a slot 20 through which is entered a thumb nut 21 which permits adjustment of the arm upon the bar. The arm, at its'inncr end, is provided with a head 22 having therein a slot 23 narrow at the center and enlarged at each end, which slot affords inwardly converging contact/surfaces 24 which are a ;lapte .lto be engaged by a crank pin 25cm a crankarm 26, which arm is adapted to be revolved by a suitable motor 27 of any desired character. The crank pin 25 is adapted to travel within the outwardly diverging slot 23 and bear against .the contact walls thereof. The

plotted head 22 is further provided with in- Wardly extending tongues 28 and which are pivoted at opposite ends of the slot and are adapted to war against the upper and lower walls of such slot, as shown n Fig. 3, with. the result that when the crank pin, is

moved to a position to bear against the inner or freeface of one of the tongues said tongues will bear against the ad acent surface 24,

thereby moving the slotted arm in a straight line to accommodate the revolving movement of the crank pin, and this movement will continue until the crank pin has swung to a position in alinenient with a slot or recess 30 near the pivoted end of each of the tongues, through. which slot or recess the crank pin is adapted to swing. On the re: turn movement of the crank pin, the tongue will be free .to swing away from the surface against which it normally rests, thereby allowing the unimpeded movement of the pin. Fig. 3- shows in full lines and dotted lines two of the positions occupied by the crank pin and slotted arm. With the crank arm in its uppermost position and moving in the direction of the arrow, the crank pin will swing arm, thereby allowing the slotted arm to remain stationary until the pin again comes in engagement with the bottom of the slot, after which the slotted arm will besubjected to an additional movement until thelower apex at the co tracted or central portion of the slot is reached by the crank pin, at which time the in will pass under the inner or free end of t e tongue 29 and the arm will remain stationary until the pin engages the under face of the tongue 28, after which the slotted arm will be raised by the interrupted movement similar'to that previously described. The osition of the'pin with respect to the arm .18 suchthat the periods of rest will occur anels are brought into registerwhen the with either face outiand also when the panels are thrcwnjnto tbeposition shown in; rig. '2

"and their edges only exposed to the observ ers eye. In this manner each of the signs will be fully exposed to. the observers eye without movement for a sufficient length of time to ermit the signas a -whole to be read I and 'un erstood, after which the movement will again commence and the signs be shifted.

Fig. 5.shews a panel provided with face plates 31 which are preferably in the'form of thin metal plates having a picture or sign painted, printed, or otherwise applied thereon, which plates are secured to the faces of the anel proper by being slid into clips or brac ets 32 and held in place, when inserted, by means eta pivoted spring clip having fingers 34 adapted to en age the-edgcs of the face lates and adapte to be sprung back intot e position shown in dotted lines. The

spring chp cogperates with pins or studs 35 which outwar r reject through holes 36 in .the' face lates, W rich pins or studs serve to sustain te weight of the plates which are 'held in. engagement therewith by means. of the, spring clip which, being pivoted, can be raised and moved from s de to side to pernnt the insertion of the plates.

In use the sign box can be displayed from any suitable'point of advantage and the number of panelsand their size and shape d ctermined with reference to the nature of the advertisement intended. .W'ith the parts in the position shown in'Fig. 1, when the motor is started, the panels-will be continuously turned until they are moved into the position shownin Fig. 2, which position they will oecupy for a period sufficiently long to enable observers to read the sign displayed Within the box, after which the movementof the rack bar will cause the panels to complete a half revolution in order to display the advertlSlII matter contained on the back of the panel. \Vhen such movement is completed the panels will stop for a suitable period-and thereafter be moved in a reverse direction, broken by a period. of rest, until they have been moved to their initial position.

Of course, the sign can be provided, if desired, with such accessory featuresas electric I lights or other well known advertising features. Where panels are providedwith rcmovable face plates, the character ofthe advertisement displayed can 'be easily changed from time to time, which feature renders the device peculiarly suitable for use in theater advertising and in advertising bargain sales and matters of like nature \Vhat I regard as new'and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device 01' the class described comprising apluralitv of reversible panels pivoted at each end in their centers and located adja cent each other and adapted, when in register, to present a continuous surface for the reception of advertising matter and adapted tobe reversed to bring their onnosite faces similarly into register, and means located at one side of the bank of panels for reversing the panels, substa-ntially asdescribed.

2. A device of the class described comprising a plurality of substantially rectangular reversible panels located adjacent each other and adapted, when in register, to present a j continuous surface for the receptionof advertising matter and adapted to be reversed to bring their opposite laces similarly into I register, means located atone side of the 1 bank of panels for reversing the panels, a box Within which the panels are pivot ed, said bof; being provided with a display surface behind the panels adapted to receive an advertisement, pinions connected with each of the panels, a continuous rack bar provided with teeth engaging the pinions, and means ferreciprocating the rack bar and thereby imp arting a half revolution to the panels, substantially as described.

ing a plurality of substantially rectangular reversible panels located adjacent each other j and adapted, When in register, to present a 5 1 continuous surface for the reception of ad- T vertising matter and adapted to be reversed I to bring their opposite faces similarly into re ister, a box Within which the panels are pivoted, said box being provided with a display surface behind the panels adapted to receive an advertisement, pinions connected with each of the panels, a continuous rack bar at the side of the bank of panels and provided with teeth engaging the pinions, a motor provided with a revoluble crank pin, and an arm connected with the rack bar and having therein a slot into which the crank pin is entered, said slot having a configuration to impart an intermittent movement to the rack bar for maintaining the panels in a state of rest when in position to display the advertising matter on opposite sides thereof and When in a position to fullv expose the advertising surface Within the box, substantially 1 as described. A device of the class described comprisf JAMES ll. LA PEARL.

"itncsses: I

SAMUEL W. BAXNIXG,

VALKER BANNING. 

